Ural Airlines has flown 39,802 passengers to Saint Petersburg since the beginning of the year, which exceeds the figures for January-June 2006 by 47%. The carrier’s press officer reports this has been brought about by lower tariffs as well as the introduction of two extra Chelyabinsk-Saint Petersburg flights a week. The research conducted by the airline reveals that this year, the carrier’s Saint Petersburg-bound flights have largely been used by people living in Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and those living in Yakutia and the NIS. Most of these travelers went to Saint Petersburg on business; a large proportion of passengers was also made up of tourists going sightseeing.